United Methodist Publishing pursues MetroCenter space

United Methodist Publishing House hopes to finalize selling 6.3 acres, including its headquarters at 201 Eighth Ave. S. later this summer. It hopes to move to the LakeFront Office Park.
(Photo:
File / The Tennessean
)

The United Methodist Publishing House's pursuit of a new home at the MetroCenter office park took another step Monday when the board approved plans to buy property for roughly $10 million.

By the end of June, the denomination's self-supporting publishing agency could complete the purchase of LakeFront Office Park at 2200 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. That deal includes a 125,000-square-foot office building, the roughly 10 acres the building sits on and another 10 acres of the adjacent man-made lake owned by the estate of deceased Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams and Nashville-based investment entity Corner Partnership.

Currently, the Lakefront office building is 15 percent occupied after several state agencies moved out. The Urban League of Middle Tennessee is among current tenants planning to relocate in coming months.

Rob Lowe, a local broker representing the publishing house, declined to comment on Monday's vote by its board. The vote comes as the publishing house hopes to complete selling 6.3 acres, including its current headquarters at 201 8th Ave. S. across from the Music City Center convention hall, later this summer.

Florida-based Turnberry Associates has the 3.7 acres publishing house headquarters site under contract with plans for a $300 million project expected to include a hotel and 250 condo residences.